The Side by Side ATC Podcast
by Tom Hanes
Latest episode
The Clearances Tool- FRAHE: Building a Clearance
The Clearances Tool- FRAHE: Building a Clearance
About this podcast
This is a podcast for people interested in air traffic control with a focus on the FAA Academy, CTI graduates, and trainees at their first facility.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 126 episodes
- The Clearances Tool- FRAHE: Building a Clearance · 40 min · Season 3 Episode 7Giving a clearance is one of the most basic Tools an air traffic controller uses—but a good clearance starts before you ever key the microphone. In this episode, we begin moving…
- The Adaptability Tool- When the Plan Changes, You Change With It · 43 min · Season 3 Episode 6“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.” — Tony Robbins In air traffic control, the Picture is always changing. Traffic changes. Weather changes…
- The Decision Making Tool- Make the Decision and Work the Plan · 36 min · Season 3 Episode 5“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” — Theodore Roosevelt Scanning helps you see what's happening…
- The Prioritizing Tool- What Needs Your Attention First? · 37 min · Season 3 Episode 4“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe You may have several things that need to be done, but you can't…
- The Planning Tool - Stay Ahead of the Traffic · 41 min · Season 3 Episode 3“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin Last week, we talked about using the Scanning Tool to continually update your Picture. But knowing what is…
- The Scanning Tool- You Can't Control What You Don't See · 40 min · Season 3 Episode 2Scanning isn't just looking at traffic. It's continually updating your Picture. As an air traffic controller, your eyes need to keep moving even while you're talking, listening…
- The Rate of Speech Tool- Fast Isn't Always Faster · 44 min · Season 3 Episode 1“Fast is slow. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” — Academy classroom saying When traffic starts getting busy, it can be tempting to start talking faster. But faster speech doesn't…
- The Multitasking Tool- How to Talk/Listen and Write at the Same Time · 33 min · Season 2 Episode 53One of the biggest concerns I hear from Academy students is, "How am I ever going to talk, write, listen, think, and build the picture all at the same time?" The answer may…
- The Phraseology Tool - Why the Details Matter · 38 min · Season 2 Episode 52Most people think phraseology is about saying the right words. Great air traffic controllers know it's much more than that. Phraseology teaches precision. It teaches consistency…
- The Listening Tool - The Most Underrated Tool in Your Tool Belt · 30 min · Season 2 Episode 51Great air traffic controllers aren't known for talking more. They're known for listening better. In this episode, we continue building your ATC Tool Belt by focusing on one of…
- The Learning Tool : Learning How to Learn in ATC · 28 min · Season 2 Episode 50Every air traffic controller starts with an empty tool belt. Some fill that tool belt faster than others—not because they're smarter, but because they've learned how to learn. In…
- The Hardest Thing About the FAA Academy- Part 1 _ Replay · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 49This is a replay of a previous episode. I am still dealing with a herniated disk and will be out of commission this week. I hope to be back next week to start discussing Tools…
- Building Your ATC Tool Belt: One Tool at a time · 27 min · Season 2 Episode 48Every great air traffic controller starts in the same place—with an empty tool belt. The difference isn’t natural talent. It isn’t luck. And it isn’t having all the answers…
- Phraseology Is King - Replay · 19 min · Season 2 Episode 47This is a replay of one of the first episodes from September 2024. I am having to do this replay as I am laid up with a pinched nerve and unable to get upstairs to my office…
- Academy Preparation- The Most Important Tool in Your ATC Tool Belt · 27 min · Season 2 Episode 46What’s the most important tool an aspiring air traffic controller can develop? It isn’t phraseology. It isn’t radar. It isn’t separation. It’s learning how to learn. Every…
- Academy Preparation: The ATC Tool Belt - What it is and Why You Need It · 30 min · Season 2 Episode 45Every professional has a tool belt. Mechanics, electricians, carpenters, surgeons—they all rely on a collection of tools they’ve developed over years of experience. Air traffic…
- Academy Preparation - What Should I be Doing While Waiting for My Class Date? · 28 min · Season 2 Episode 44Waiting for an FAA Academy class date can be exciting, frustrating, and sometimes overwhelming. Instead of simply counting down the days, what if you used that time to build the…
- Academy Preparation - Success Starts Before Day 1 · 27 min · Season 2 Episode 43Many future air traffic controllers believe their journey begins when they arrive at the FAA Academy. In reality, success starts long before Day 1. The habits, mindset…
- The Journey and the Process- How the 4 Levels and the 6 Drivers Work Together · 47 min · Season 2 Episode 42Over the past few months, I’ve explored two important frameworks on The Side by Side ATC Podcast: The 6 Drivers of ATC Success and The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control. In this…
- The 4 Levels of Air Traffic Control - Level 4 - CPC and Training Others · 44 min · Season 2 Episode 41Achieving certification as a Certified Professional Controller (CPC) is a major milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. In this final episode of The 4 Levels of Air…
